The rims on your car can see a good deal of abuse in regular driving. Dirt, debris and brake dust often gets caked onto the wheels, and the longer you go before cleaning them, the more difficult it can be to remove. Clean your rims quickly and easily by using a spray on wheel cleaner and medium bristled brush, then rinse them with a hose.

Steps

Part 1

Choosing the Appropriate Wheel Cleaner

1

Determine what type of wheel you have. There are a number of different types of rims you may have on your vehicle. It’s important to determine what material your rims are made of so you can buy a cleaner designed for that type of wheel. If you are unsure what type of wheels your vehicle came with, refer to the owner’s manual for guidance.[1]

Steel wheels are often black and covered with hubcaps.

Aluminum alloy wheels are common types of rims and often appear grey or polished silver.

Chrome and aluminum wheels can withstand harsher detergents than the paint on steel wheels.

2

Choose an appropriate wheel cleaner. Once you have determined what type of wheels you have, choose an appropriate cleaner. Some cleaners are designed for use on any wheel application, while others are intended only for specific types of wheels.[2]

Chrome wheels are often best cleaned by a wheel cleaner designed specifically for chrome.

You can purchase wheel cleaner at most large retail and auto parts stores.

3

Consider a wheel and tire cleaner option. There are wheel cleaners that are designed for use on both wheels and the tires as well. This option may make for a faster result, but often will not do as good of a job cleaning the wheel.[3]

Wheel and tire cleaners can remove grime from you wheels and restore the shine to your tires.

Avoid tire dressing and wheel cleaner combinations, as they can turn your tires brown as they fade.

Part 2

Washing your Rims

1

Use a hose to rinse the rims. The first step to washing your rims is simply to rinse them thoroughly. Use a hose with a spray nozzle to remove any loose debris, dirt or grime from the wheels. Most wheel cleaners need to be applied to a wet surface.[4]

A power washer or professional car wash hose can remove a good deal of stuck on grime.

A regular hose is sufficient to rinse the wheels and prepare them for the cleaner.

2

Spray an even layer of wheel cleaner onto the wheel. Spray on wheel cleaners offer the fastest and easiest way to getting road grime off of your wheels. Read the instructions on the particular brand of wheel cleaner that you chose. Follow the instructions as they lay out to apply the cleaner to the wheel. In most cases, you will need to spray an even layer of wheel cleaner onto the entire wheel.

If you have a combination wheel and tire cleaner, you can spray your tires as well.

Be careful not to overspray the wheel cleaner onto the paint of the vehicle.

Be sure to spray the cleaner onto and around the lug nuts.

3

Allow the cleaner to sit on the wheels for a minute. Wheel cleaners are designed to use chemicals to break down the hard to remove dirt and grime from you wheels. Allow the cleaner to sit on the wheels for a minute or two before rinsing them. If you don’t have time to wait, scrub the wheel with a brush while the cleaner works.[5]

The longer you allow the cleaner to sit, the better it will do at removing road grime.

Do not allow the cleaner to sit long enough to dry on the wheel.

4

Use a wheel brush to scrub off brake dust. Brake dust can be extremely difficult to remove from a wheel. After the cleaner has soaked in for a few minutes, use a brush that is designed to clean wheels to scrub any grime off of them that is stuck on and hard to remove.

Do not use a tire brush on most wheels. The bristles on tire brushes are too stiff and could scratch the finish.

Medium-soft bristled brushes are the best choice for wheels.

5

Rinse the wheels with a hose. Once you have scrubbed the stuck on grime off of the wheels, use your hose again to rinse the cleaner off of them completely. Be sure to rinse any small areas thoroughly, such as the space around the lug nuts or gaps in the design of the rim. Once they are rinsed, look at the wheels and assess whether or not you will need to begin the process again.

If the wheels are still dirty, you may need to begin the process again.

You may be able to wipe excess dirt off with a paper towel after you rinse.

6

Wash your car after rinsing the wheels. Wheel cleaner contains harsh detergents that can remove wax and clear coat from your paint. While you do not have to wash your car after washing the rims, it may be a good idea to ensure no wheel cleaner remains on the paint of the car.[6]

If you don’t have time to wash the car after the wheels, spray wheel wells with the hose as you rinse the wheels.

Part 3

Dealing with Hard to Clean Wheels

1

Re-apply the wheel cleaner. If the wheels are not as clean as you’d like, the easiest way to produce a better result is to simply go through the process again. Re-apply the cleaner to the wheels and allow them to sit for a little bit longer this time, then rinse it off again.[7]

Scrub any areas you missed the first time with the cleaner on the wheels.

2

Use a more concentrated wheel cleaner. Concentrated wheel cleaners can eat through more grime than most regular ones, but can also do more damage to paint if it comes into contact with it. Be careful when applying more concentrated wheel cleaners to your car, as they can damage the paint quickly.[8]

You can purchase concentrated wheel cleaners at most auto parts stores.

Concentrated wheel cleaners often cost quite a bit more than normal ones.

3

Apply carnauba wax to the wheels. Once the wheels are clean, allow them to dry. Then apply a light layer of carnauba wax to the wheel. Once dry, use a chamois cloth to buff the wax off of the wheel, leaving it shiny just as it would with the car’s paint.[9]

The wax will make removing grime and brake dust must easier when cleaning your rims again next time.

Carnauba wax max may take some time to apply and shouldn’t be done if you’re in a hurry.

4

Apply a brake dust cleaner. If your wheels have a significant amount of brake dust caked on them and traditional wheel cleaners aren’t penetrating deep enough, try using a cleaner designed specifically for brake dust. Spray the brake dust cleaner directly onto the areas the brake dust is stuck to the wheel, then scrub them with the brush.[10]

If brake dust is a serious issue with your vehicle, you can purchase reduced brake dust brake pads to limit the amount that may get stuck to your wheels.

Be careful not to allow the brake dust cleaner to touch the paint on the vehicle.

To clean your rims, first rinse them down with a hose that has a spray nozzle to break up dirt and debris. Apply an even layer of wheel cleaner, and let it sit for a minute or two. Next, scrub off any grime or brake dust with a medium-soft bristled brush, and give the wheels a final rinse. If the wheels need a second clean, apply the chemicals again and let them sit for a little while longer, or use a more concentrated cleaner. For more tips, including how to choose the right cleaner for your wheels or when to use carnauba wax, keep reading!

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This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Together, they cited information from 10 references.